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Kader Kohou, an undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M, has become an important part of the Miami Dolphins' defense in just his second year in the NFL.
As he put the finishing touches on his work week just days before he and his teammates boarded their charter flight for Los Angeles ahead of Week 1, the Dolphins defensive back discussed in frank terms the mindset an NFL player must possess in order to be successful.
Speaking to Sportskeeda's Reggie Roberts, he said:
“You have to have that dog in you,” said Kader, who played 98% of his team's total snaps in his club’s 36-34 season-opening road win over the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium last Sunday. “If you don’t, it’s not going to work out for you. You are going up against the best athletes in the world, so you have to have that next play mentality."
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"Whether the receiver catches three straight balls, the next play might be a pick-6 for you. You have to have short-term memory to play in this League.”
That “dog mentality” Kohou was referring to was on full display in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Chargers.
Kader Kohou, who finished the game with six tackles, recorded a 12-yard sack that nearly resulted in a safety when he dropped Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert at his own one-yard line on a cornerback blitz off the right side.
Kohou’s sack forced the Chargers to punt as they were facing a third-and-one situation from their own 13-yard-line and clinging to a 24-20 lead with less than three minutes remaining in the third quarter.
Miami outscored Los Angeles 16-10 following Kohou’s game-changing play to give his club their third consecutive season-opening victory. Since then the Miami Dolphins have won two more games, and are looking like one of the best teams in the NFL.
The sack – the first of Kohou’s career – was one of three sacks Miami recorded as they limited Herbert to 228 yards passing and one touchdown toss. Kohou, who moved to the United States from Africa when he was nine, made Miami’s final 53-man roster last season as an undrafted free agent from Texas A&M-Commerce.
He says the difference in his play these days compared to last year has everything to do with confidence, consistency, and knowing exactly what to do.
“This game is about your mentality,” Kader Kohou said. “Last year, I was out there trying to wing it. It helps that I’ve had an entire offseason to learn and understand what we are doing. I’ve got a better feel for what we are doing and that’s freed me up to be aggressive and play faster which is what every player at this level wants to do.”
Kader Kohou lauds Vic Fangio's immediate impact on Dolphins defense
Being able to play faster gets a little easier when you have arguably one of the best defensive coaches ever to coach in the NFL as your defensive coordinator in Miami’s Vic Fangio, who has been dubbed as the most influential defensive coordinator in the modern NFL.
Speaking about Fangio, Kader Kohou said:
“Coach Vangio is detailed as hell,” Kader Kohou said. “It’s crazy. We’ll be watching film and he will tell us in great detail what the opponent will do…just from seeing the way they line up. Everyone on this defense trust him because he’s been doing it at this level for so long. He always has us prepared and ready to play and he never hangs us out to dry.”
After an impresisve outing in Week 1, Kohou played all 74 snaps for his team's defense in Week 2 against the New England Patriots. The Dolphins won that game 24-17, allowing only 228 passing yards, and 88 rushing yards.
In Week 3 against the Broncos, Kader Kohou played 74% of his team's total snaps in a 70-20 blowout win. So far this season, the 24-year-old DB has recorded 10 solo tackles, six assisted tackles, 1.0 sack and one fumble recovery in three games this season.
With Jalen Ramsey expected to return later this season, the Dolphins' defense under Vic Fangio will continue to get better.
If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Sportskeeda.
